I was introduced to Foals on a whim. A colleague of mine had been listening to Bloc Party Pandora Radio when out of the blue arose the sound of a wild and melodic tap guitar arrangement layered over a solid rhythm section, not unlike that of Minus The Bear. However, in exchange for Jake Snider's cool and collected monotone sweeps, the vocals emanating from the speakers matched the quirky playfulness of the instrument ensemble.

Fast-forward to 2013, Foals have now evolved into a story driven, cinematic production focused intently on one's id. The dark imagery created in Holy Fire is enough for a listener to rethink their past and debate on what is truly important. It waxes and wanes with tales pain and pleasure.

Howls from frontman Yannis Philippakis define the urgency of the record. With a mixture of Coldplay's Chris Martin and Bloc Party's Kele Okereke, his enchanting voice tears at the listener like a drowning man grasping at straws to pull him from the depths.

Crafted under layers of reverb, spacey guitar work, large string arrangements, and subtle keys, a watery ambiance is delivered, as if the entirety of the album was realized during a storm while lost at sea. The aura created by the album encapsulates the listener in a world of loss, mystery, and deeper meaning. The graphic and scuzzy imagery depicted in the official music videos for "Inhaler" and "Late Night" bring to light the brooding vibe aforementioned.

It is hard to find fault in Holy Fire. From "Inhaler" to "Providence," the album takes the listener through chaotic peaks and dark troughs, only to end up on the quiet shores of "Stepson" and "Moon."

With the recent releases of narrative driven AAA titles such as Bioshock Infinite and Mass Effect along with the next-generation looming on the horizon, the discussion of game design has yet again taken center stage. Large publishers are looking to balance the addictive re-playability of MMOs, the lucrativness of multi-player FPSs, and the rich immersion of single-player action-RPGs. On the other hand, indie developers such as thatgamecompany toy with the idea of striped down mechanics to balance heavy narrative as seen in Journey. Most games now attempt to implement "moral" decisions, often very polar and very poorly.

With today's technology, possibilities seem limitless for gaming's next-generation. However, as the past will show, limits without powerful hardware, online connectivity, and large player communities, can provide some of the best work! As untimely as it may seem, developers should look to games of the past for inspiration on the undiscovered future.

Example: Star Fox 64.

Star Fox 64 championed the idea of a branching, non-linear "linear" story. As one may recall, the map shown above is presented to the player at the onset of Star Fox's journey. And, as most players began to discover, there remained a plethora of unvisited planets and galaxies by the game's end.

Without access to GamePro or online resources, most couldn't quite figure out why those extra stages existed or how to reach them. Those gung-ho enough to research, attentive enough to listen, lucky enough to stumble upon, or who had a friend of equal tenacity to learn of the requirements for the difficult but more rewarding progression, could reap the rewards of a richer story, unique mechanics/vehicles/characters, and largely undiscovered levels. Buddhist like patience rewarded the mastery of repetition.

The beauty of this design lies in the fact that Nintendo not only developed a game of which 50+% would remain untapped. Nintendo taunted the player with what could be, teasing them with evidence of something more, and tucked mystery into each level with hidden paths and special instances. Choices made earlier in the game would not only effect Fox's path but offered different consequences in future levels including character cameos and extra help. They even built an entire mechanic and vehicle class, The Blue Marine, used on one level found on the hard path, Aquas.

Nintendo also innovated on the standard "difficulty selection" cliché that is still often used in today's games. Star Fox 64 tailored the game's difficulty to the player's ambition. If one was deft enough to unlock a level's secret path, they were rewarded with a more difficult stage rather than statically increasing health of baddies or offering enhanced AI. As Star Fox 64 displayed, baking in difficulty based on a player's abilities and determination allowed for Nintendo to create a unique path without compromising the integrity of the game's intended balance.

Star Fox 64's design may not be the exact answer the future of gaming needs, but it's innovation is. Multi-path design, story changes based on accomplishments, a unique take on difficulty settings, and it's ability to tease players with stages that require the practice and precision only replaying can offer are the sort of out-of-the-box thinking the industry needs in this time of change.

While Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite provide fantastic narrative, their mechanics and level progression never quite impress like Mario 64 or FFX of yesteryear. Call it age, but the feeling that the limitations set for developers in past provided more opportunity for unique game design seems to be ever present.

Risk is worth it. Even if a small few seek out all of the secrets of a game, it will ensure that it continues to be replayed, rediscovered, and re-loved. Defeating the tropes players are continually subjected too and letting the game unfold around the player's accomplishments and mindful exploration provide an infinitely more rewarding experience.

What innovative designs from gaming's classics would you like to see in this next-generation?

Released to the masses on March 13, 2012, thatgamecompany's Journey re-ignited the "games as art" argument. It's beautiful and ethereal depiction of companionship, mystery, communication, evolution, and post-apocolypse paved the way to its chart topping success, numerous awards, and a Grammy nomination; a first for the video game medium.

One year later, Journey continues to top Playstation's charts, peaking during awards shows and best of lists. Amongst heavy-hitters and AAA titles, Journey's legacy continues.

There is also the outstanding success and importance of Journey's soundtrack. Composed by Austin Wintory, the soundtrack sprawls from eerie tension to a warm enlightenment, as demonstrated by tracks "Nadir" to "Apotheosis." Wintory's score went on to win numerous awards, dominating the Best Music/Audio category of nearly every videogameawardceremony and became the first video game soundtrack to be nominated for a Grammy. One may argue that the standalone success, sweeping hooks, and inspiring melodies of the score continue to draw players to Journey and open conversations to new audiences.

With all of it's gravitas and praise, Journey is not without its nay-sayers. Many refute the piece as a "best of" contender due to its lack of traditional gameplay. Even I, an avid fan of the experience, struggle with the "games as art" argument and have the idea that we need to reevaluate our definition of "game." There is no doubt in my mind that Journey is a profound piece of art, but does it qualify as a game?

"Journey's primary mechanic was to move the player from point A to point B and tell a story and show off scenery. The puzzles are simple. The threats are sparse. Consequences are inconsequential." - Kyle Starr, IGN.com

Regardless of one's feelings on whether Journey can be classified as a game, the experience is one that challenges our opinions of the world and each other. Clocking in at roughly 2 hours of intimate gameplay, Journey is best left as a solo experience to be completed in a single sitting, similar to a movie. The themes previously mentioned deep and subtle, something we've come to expect from a novel. And the score not only moves the story but, like the world's most important classical pieces, can be enjoyed apart from the visual experience.

One year (and one month) ago, Journey redefined art and interactive entertainment. It challenged storytelling, world building, and character evolution. It goes without saying that Journey is one of few crowning achievements of our modern society that should be experienced by all, gamer or otherwise.